


clarity

by chidorinnn



Category: Naruto
Genre: AU, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-05
Updated: 2015-03-05
Packaged: 2018-03-16 09:54:31
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 654
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3483884
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chidorinnn/pseuds/chidorinnn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Sasuke finds his own peace and comes to an understanding. Alternate take on Chapter 631.</p>
            </blockquote>





	clarity

**Author's Note:**

> Consider this an AU where Sasuke reaches the end of his character development when he joins the war effort, and thus will not be declaring revolution anytime in the near future.

You’ve been preparing for this moment for a long time — in one of those scenarios you’ve concocted during moments of wishful thinking — but suddenly, there he is, standing before you, and your mind goes blank. Your comrades’ cries of alarm and outrage sound muffled and distorted in your ears as you try to wrap your head around this sudden turn of events.

He hasn’t changed much since you last saw him, but it hasn’t been that long to begin with. But there’s something else there — something firm and secure anchoring him to the ground, a certain clarity in his eyes that wasn’t there the last time you saw him.

The healing chakra falters in your hands, and you clench your teeth together. Focus. Focus on healing Naruto first, and then deal with Sasuke. 

Words are tossed around — demands about his intentions, threats to leave or risk being struck down on the spot. 

And when he opens his mouth for the first time, turning his head just enough so that he can look at you from the side of his eye, you wonder why you expected anything different. “Sakura…” His voice cracks slightly at the last syllable of your name.

Your throat goes dry, but you swallow and push forward. “What are you doing here?” Your voice comes out as little more than a hoarse whisper, but it’s enough.

"I-I…" he stammers — and isn’t that strange, because when has he ever faltered? — as he turns his head away from you.

The beast roars off in the distance — and you force the healing chakra in your hands to fade as Naruto pulls away from you — but you don’t take your eyes off of him. “Look at me,” you say, and thankfully, your voice comes out more clearly. 

He bows his head and stuffs his hands in his pockets, but he does turn to look at you like you asked him to. He stares at you for a few agonizingly slow seconds, swallows audibly, and then takes a deep breath. “The situation has changed,” he says, and his voice sounds only slightly more strained than usual. “I’m… going to protect Konoha… make sure this never happens again.”

Ino whispers something you can’t hear to Shikamaru. “Is he for real?” Tenten whispers much less quietly to Lee. Hinata clasps her hands before her chest, and Shino scoffs.

"What kind of bullshit is that?" Kiba yells. "Who said you could just—"

"That’s enough!" you snap, and in only a few steps, you close the distance between the two of you. The last time you’d been this close, his hand had been around your throat and you’d had a kunai pointed at him — but now, it’s like the two of you are really seeing each other for the first time.

You wrap your arms around his torso hesitantly, stiffly, but he doesn’t protest or try to push you away. Instead, he sags against you, and though he doesn’t hug you back — probably doesn’t even think to hug you back, you think — his head falls lightly on top of yours. “I’m sorry,” he whispers so quietly, you wonder for a some time afterwards if you’d simply imagined it. 

"Such a touching scene," the First Hokage interjects, "but we have a bigger problem to take care of! Mold your chakra!"

You pull away from Sasuke and crack your knuckles. “We’ll talk later,” you say — and when he nods and grunts in affirmation, you smile. It’s an unspoken promise of sorts — a promise that the two of you will survive the ensuing battle, a promise that despite how things had ended between you at your previous meeting, things will be better this time.

A hand thumps hard against your back then, and all of a sudden, Naruto’s there between you, his arms tightening around Sasuke’s and your shoulders. “Okay!” he shouts to the beast that roars in the distance. “Team Seven is back!”


End file.
